Grey Hair
by rosewouldknow
Summary: Something is affecting Rose...She's ageing way too quickly. But what will the Doctor say when he finds out-will he leave her back at earth? Or will their true feelings be revealed?...
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first fanfic, so yeah, it's not fabulous but I hope people enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who, clearly.**

It all started with a single grey hair.

There had been other things that could have given it away. She had been struggling to keep up with the Doctor lately. There had been occasions when they had been running together, and she simply couldn't go on. She labelled her growing exhaustion as mere lack of sleep, and made an effort to get to bed earlier, rather than stay up late and read in the library or sit and watch movies with the Doctor into the middle of the night. But this made no difference. She had once been able to run miles effortlessly, but now she struggled to go up a couple of flights of stares without stopping for a rest.

Also, there was the laughter lines. They were tiny-almost invisible-but they were there. She hadn't really thought anything about them. She was so happy with the Doctor, laughing and smiling non stop as they discovered the wonders of the universe. It was no wonder it was showing on her face.

But it was the grey hair that made her panic.

A single hair that had somehow escaped the peroxide. She clamped it between her index finger and her thumb, and stood before the mirror, examining it with her eyebrows furrowed. It waved gently when her breath hit it, and it seemed to be laughing at her.

"I'm twenty. How the hell do I have a grey hair?" She mumbled to herself, confused.

Maybe it was something to do with time travel. Could time travel speed up the ageing process? Obviously, it wouldn't affect the Doctor-Time Lords don't age, they regenerate. She thought back to her encounter with Sarah Jane. She looked brilliant for her age, and she'd spent a long time with the Doctor. So, what, was Sarah Jane an exception? Or was there something unusual happening to Rose?

She knew that the only way she could find out what was going on was to talk to the Doctor. But as she thought of the conversation she might have, her stomach felt like it was filled with not butterflies, but angry wasps. What if he didn't want her to stay with him anymore? What if he dropped her back at home, to endure a life of work, chips, and sleep? She knew she wouldn't ever be able to live like that. She knew she wouldn't ever be able to live without the Doctor-despite the fact that she could never tell him why. He would never understand, and the feeling could never be mutual...could it?

She stood there, deliberating for quite a while. The grey hair danced in front of her eyes, and eventually, curiosity won over dread, and she went to find the Doctor, trying to clear her mind of depressing thoughts that seemed to cling onto her mind like glue.

She found the Doctor messing with some dials on the TARDIS console, and looking at the screen in confusion. His brown coat lay sprawled on the captain's seat, and Rose moved it aside and sat down, preparing herself to speak to him. He pushed his glasses back and muttered to himself, apparently about something not making sense at all, but Rose couldn't hear for sure.

"Ahem." Rose coughed loudly, causing the Doctor to jump back in surprise.

"Blimey, do you want both of my hearts to have an attack!" He spluttered. Obviously he hadn't noticed she was there.

Rose giggled at his reaction. He flicked a switch on the console then sat by her side, sticking his tongue out in mock annoyance.

"What doesn't make sense?" She asked, after composing herself and turning to look the Doctor in the eyes.

"Oh nothing. Just timey-wimey nonsense. I think there's some glitch in the inner wiring, should be easy to fix. She's getting old." He sighed, patting the seat.

Rose could tell that this was not the problem he had just been trying to solve, but she let it pass and decided to speak to him about her own problems. She had anticipated sounding intellectual and merely questioning, to ease herself into the conversation, so as not to get the Doctor worried or doubtful. But her mouth decided otherwise, and just sort of shouted it at him like she was insane.

"Doctor, does time travel usually affect the ageing process?" She blurted out, feeling her cheeks grow red.

He hesitated for a bit too long.

"Yes." he replied, sounding unsure.

"You don't sound too sure." Rose asked, annoyed that he seemed to be lying. Had he noticed? Did he already have plans to drop her back at home? "It didn't seem to have affected Sarah Jane. Or Mickey." She said, thinking back to her ex-boyfriend, who had decided to stay behind in a parallel universe. He had changed inside, he had grown as a person, but his appearance had remained almost exactly the same.

"Weeellll, technically no." He said, rubbing his chin and slouching back in his chair.

"You've noticed then..." She whispered, panicking.

"Yes." He nodded, looking at her intently. Hiis eyes drifted to her hair and she imagined that grey hair sticking out like a neon sign.

"Isn't there something we can do? Some sort of medicine or operation or gadget thingamajig that can make it slow down? Or stop? I promised I'd stay with you forever, but at this rate, I'll look 80 by the time I'm 30! And then I'll die and I'll have broken my promise!" The words came pouring out at an alarming rate, tears rising in her eyes as the panic bubbled in her chest.

"There is an age serum, humans actually invented it in 4013. It can stop the ageing process completely. Affects the cells in the body, puts time-restraints on every single cell, causing a biological reconstruction, allowing the brain..." He rambled for a while, then stared at her with an incredulous expression, as if he couldn't believe she'd even bother asking. "But there is no way you're taking it." He laughed.

_He doesn't want me._

His words echoed in her ears and hurt her brain. Had he already tired of her? A lump stuck in her throat and she choked out the word "Okay" before running off and bursting into tears with a violent sob, not caring how she sounded like a spoilt child.

She stormed to her room and closed the door, no, _slammed,_ the door. She really did sound like a spoilt brat, but she didn't care. Because the Doctor didn't care. She felt her whole world crash around her; her ears were ringing, her hands were shaking madly and her vision was impaired by a continuous waterfall of tears that now poured from her eyes.

Furiously, she grabbed her belongings and threw them carelessly into a duffel bag, before angrily kicking the leg of her bed with a scream. This only resulted in her falling to the floor, clutching her toe and wailing, adding another pain adding to the onslaught of agony she already felt in her heart.

A quiet knock on the door pulled her back into clear thought, and she hurriedly wiped away the tears, leaving a large black smudge of mascara on her hand.

Clumsily, she pulled herself to her feet, and opened the door a tiny bit, leaning against it and hiding her face.

"What?" She asked in a monotone voice, trying to sounds mutual and uncaring. She ignored the fact that he probably heard her scream.

"Can I come in?" He sighed sadly.

She opened the door and turned away, trying to avoid his gaze in the mirror. He closed the door, and held up a up and mug with a slight smile.

"I brought you some tea." he said.

Was he mocking her? This was not the Doctor she thought she knew. He would not break her heart, and then cruelly laugh at her. Maybe she had got him all wrong.

She stared at him with empty eyes, her mouth slightly open. His hair looked messy, like he had run his hand through it as he often did when he was thinking.

"I think you-" he began, but suddenly his hands shook and he dropped the cup of tea. It fell to the floor and smashed loudly, sprinkling both of their shins with warm tea.

"What-what are you doing?" He stammered, a desperate look of terror filling his eyes as he looked to the bed. Rose turned to see his gaze fixed on the half-zipped bag on the bed.

"Packing." She said without emotion.

"You're-you're leaving?" He stammered.

"That's what you want, isn't it?"

"No! No! Why-why on earth would you think that?" He shouted, grabbing her arm and-a bit too violently-spinning her so he could look into her eyes.

"If you can't wait for me to just die, you might as well drop me off now! Why wait to get rid of me?" She shouted in retaliation, standing on her tiptoes to look him directly in the eye.

"What the?-oh." Realisation dawned on him, and a look of relief spread across his face. He laughed, much to Rose's annoyance.

"It's not funny." She muttered, upset.

"Rose, you can be so daft sometimes!" He smiled, kissing her forehead. Before she could say anything he pulled her into an enthusiastic hug. All her resistance melted as she leaned her head on his warm chest and wrapped her arms around him like it was the most natural thing in the world. He leaned his head on her hair.

"I thought you'd got bored of me." She said, embarrassed at what was probably really her having a massive overreaction.

"I could never get bored of you Rose." He sighed.

"Then why can't I take the serum?" She pulled her head up to look up at him.

"It's not that I don't want you to. I want you to stay with me forever." He whispered. He gently tucked her blonde hair behind her ear and stared into her eyes, making her insides melt. "You're perfect."

He'd said it in a way that made Rose think he hadn't meant to say that aloud. He pulled back with a mortified expression and tugged at his ear nervously, biting his lip, confirming her suspicions.

"What?"

He deftly changed the subject back to the serum.

"There are complications. With the serum. It works differently on every person. Sometimes they stop ageing all together, sometimes it slows, sometimes they can come incredibly ill...and sometimes... they die." An expression of deep thought and seriousness spread across his face. "There's no way to tell how someone will react to it. And there's no way I'm putting you in danger." He said, softer now, stepping closer and gently cupping the side of Rose's face, looking deep into her eyes once more. "I don't want to lose you."

Rose's heart skipped a few beats, but she grabbed the opportunity. She placed her hand on top of his and held it there, feeling his soft skin against hers, smelling his intriguing scent-something like a bizarre but delicious mixture of tea and fresh grass- and and wishing they could always be like this.

"I'm willing to take the risk." She said, almost silently, with a small smile forming on her lips.

And she was.

**Please read and review! Do you think I should carry on or should I not bother! Feedback and constructive critisizm appreciated!**


	2. Chapter 2

The Doctor stepped out of the TARDIS with Rose in tow. He had a frown on his face as he closed the door behind her and turned to look at her.

"I'm still not happy about this. At all." He said sternly.

Rose rolled her eyes at him but otherwise ignored him, and started looking around. He had no reason to not be happy in comparison to her. She had only spoken to him about it a couple of times, and the recent events had left this as the only plausible option they could think of.

The first time they had spoken about it was in the kitchen. Rose had been sat drinking tea, whilst the Doctor was busy doing something technical to the toaster. (Rose had no idea why a toaster needed an upgrade, but she didn't bother questioning him.)

"Doctor?" She asked nervously.

"Mmm?" He replied with his sonic screwdriver in his mouth.

"I want to take the serum." She said, absent-mindedly blowing her tea.

He dropped everything and turned to her with an incredulous look on his face.

"I told you what can happen. You could _die _Rose." He said angrily.

"I know."

"Then why-"

"Doctor I want to keep my promise to you. I want to stay with you _forever._" She said, slowly moving towards him. Her heart shuddered audibly as his face softened at her words.

"Forever..." He breathed, turning so he was facing her directly.

"Forever." She said with finality. She closed the small gap between them and they embraced. He kissed the top of her head and sighed. She wished that they could stay like this forever-peaceful and happy, and with nobody else to ruin the perfection of the moment. Rose loved the fantastic adventures, the endless running and the explorations of splendiferous new worlds, but most of all, she loved the Doctor. She wished that she could tell him how she felt. She wished that she could think _my _Doctorrather than _the _Doctor.But she knew he would never feel the same.

"It would be perfect." She sighed.

"It would." He replied, much to her surprise.

He'd do this sometimes. He'd say things to her that made her think he might feel the same way, but then withdraw and be very distant for sometime, before they returned to the usual hand-holding, flirtatious pair they had grown to be.

"We could stay together for all of time. Travelling and exploring, seeing the wonders of the universe! Just let me take that serum Doctor, please!" She said imploringly, searching his eyes deperately, widening hers in that puppy-dog way that he almost always fell for.

His face looked torn, and inside she was screaming with excitement at the prospect of his conformation.

She was to be disappointed.

"No." He said,untangling himself from her arms and making his face void of expression.

He walked away, grabbing components from the toaster, then left the kitchen, leaving Rose stood there, looking longingly as his back turned round the corner and out of view.

She stuck her bottom lip out angrily and plonked herself on her chair with an exasperated huff. She'd get nowhere with him in the next day or so. She better let him cool off.

Within two days they had both gotten over their minor disagreement, and they were back to their normal selves. Rose had been trying to find a way to approach the subject, but had been struggling, not wanting to upset him any more. She had managed to push it to the back of her mind for now.

"Oh! And remember when that woman tried to paint you blue. She said-she said-you were too yellow!" They laughed hysterically, giddy from the adrenalin of their recent adventure.

"She wanted to paint you green!" Rose bellowed, and they continued to laugh until their bellies hurt, and they wiped their eyes and leaned back onto the chair, smiling contently. "I'm going to go and get into my pyjamas. Back in a sec."

She skipped off to her room, happy, and with thoughts of her accelerated ageing tucked safely away where she couldn't dwell on it, she was content to just spend some feud-free time with the Doctor.

She floated into her room and started to brush her hair, humming to herself.

Taken by surprise, she clumsily dropped her brush on her toe (it still hadn't recovered from the latest injury she had received when she kicked the bed in rage) and gasped aloud. She stepped towards the mirror cautiously, like it was a feral animal about to snap at her at any moment, and leaned her head forward slightly, examining it in silent trepidation.

Just this morning she had been thinking that she must go back to earth and go to a _human _ hairdressers. Her brown roots were showing way too much, and she needed a trim. But now, as she examined her scalp, a chill of panic ran through her body.

Her roots were grey.

She ran her fingers through her hair desperately, secretly praying that it was just her over-active imagination. But the grey did not transform back to brown, and her insides turned to lead as she thought about how quickly she was ageing.

_How quickly she was dying._

"Doctor!" She screeched automatically, chocking on the lump in her throat, holding back terrified tears.

She heard hurried footsteps and the door swung open, he flew in, with a panic-stricken look on his face.

"What is it? What happened?" He urged.

All Rose could manage was a small whimper, before tears began streaming down her face. The Doctor's eyes were drawn to her hair, and his mouth dropped open in shock as he focused.

"How is that-when?-but you were just-" He croaked.

A sob broke free from Rose which she tried her hardest to subdue. The Doctor automatically held the sides of her face and leaned his forehead against hers.

"I'm dying." She whispered.

"No. No, you're not." The Doctor said, quiet but sure and determined. "We're getting the serum." He breathed.

And then he did something she did not expect.

He moved a hand into her hair and cradled her head, before closing his eyes and slowly moving his lips to hers. At first Rose's mind was even more panicked and confused than it had been, and she considered pulling away. But then a flood of feelings came crashing down on her, and she closed her eyes and wrapped and arm around the back of his neck to pull him closer.

It lasted just a few seconds, but Rose felt her whole existence shift as he confirmed, with a simple kiss, that he felt the same way. He pulled back and looked into her eyes, and she felt like he could see every fibre of her being. Blushing, she smiled nervously, suddenly worried that the Doctor regretted his sudden actions. She noticed his gaze shift from her eyes, to explore the rest of her face. He didn't look upon her with a happy expression, and it seemed he wasn't telling her something.

He opened the door silently and left. She sighed. A minute later Rose heard the whirring of the TARDIS, suggesting that he had set the controls to take them, hopefully, to get the serum.

She turned round to scrutinize her roots again, but what she saw instead made her head spin and her only explanation was that she was dreaming. (A part of her mind pointed out that, if she was dreaming, she would have dreamt the kiss too.)

The face of the woman she saw in the mirror reflected her terror, but surely it wasn't her? How could that have happened in the past five minutes?

The woman in the mirror wore faint-but definitely real, and definitely growing-wrinkles.

The panic took over, and her vision became blurred, then darker, and then everything went black.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: **I do not own Doctor Who. **

Rose shook her head, trying to keep the horrifying experience from her mind, and focused on her surroundings. They seemed to be in some sort of underground tunnel, filled with stampedes of rushing people. All the walls were made of flat stone, and the ceiling was covered in multicoloured wires which seemed to go on forever. Dim lights were dotted along the walls, and left the tunnel with a rather dull atmosphere, mirrored by the annoyed looking people, most of whom were wearing grey suits, holding briefcases and checking their watches, tutting at their tardiness.

"Not so different from my times then. Where are we?" Rose asked, intrigued.

"London, in about...4050." The Doctor replied, rolling his eyes as somebody barged past him.

"Why are we underground?" Rose asked, confused.

"Well, there was a big war. A big nuclear war. It was all completely futile because everybody moved underground as soon as it started, so all anybody achieved was destroying the majority of the surface of the earth and making it uninhabitable. Should be fine in a hundred years or so." He sighed. "You humans, you're so thick sometimes."

"Oi!" She elbowed him in the ribs.

"So yeah, Basically they had a choice: Spread to the stars or stay underground. The ones who didn't want to mix with aliens stayed behind, called themselves 'pureblood' and the others 'mudbloods'" He chuckled.

Rose stared at him in bewilderment. "Isn't that-?"

"Yep!" He grinned. "two thousand years on and J.K.'s still going strong!"

"Wow. But...what do you mean, about the pureblood thing?" She asked.

"Basically, the people down here think that humans should remain human. They think that they shouldn't mingle with aliens." He wiggled his eyebrows and grabbed her hand as if to prove his point. She laughed.

"So...Cassandra, she would have been a descendant of this lot?" She said nodding her head towards the floods of people rushing by.

"Oh, definitely. They don't particularly approve of aliens even being around, so if they find me...be prepared to run for it. I doubt they will though. Come on, lets sit in here for a bit." He said, pulling them towards a bland metal door that said _RESTAURANT _on the front of it in plain black writing. He opened the door cautiously then stepped through and Rose followed.

It was exactly like any Italian restaurant from back home. Wooden tables held chattering couples and families, their faces lit by flickering candles. The walls were covered in obscure pieces of art in wooden frames, and waiters and waitresses dashed around in black aprons, taking people's orders. The smell of pizza and pasta filled the air, and the delighted screams of children occasionally broke out over the constant hum of voices.

"Table for two, please." The Doctor said with a smile.

"Right this way." Said a tall blonde man in his thirties, taking them to a table then taking their orders.

"They like to keep it traditional on earth. The ones who flew off in their spaceships didn't really bother." He said, thanking the waiter as he put down two cokes.

"What about when the earth gets destroyed by the sun?" She asked, fondly remembering her very first trip with the Doctor.

"Oh, they get over their differences way before then. In fact, in about fifty years, the majority of this lot will move to other planets, and the earth will be left for a few years before some people return once it's free of radiation from the nuclear bombs." He told her.

"What happened to the humans who travelled to other planets?"

"All sorts. Some of them made alliances with other races, some of them started wars. Some joined in with the new societies and cultures, others kept to themselves. The human race-extending their wings and spreading themselves across the stars. Brilliant!" He laughed. Rose smiled.

They both sipped their cokes and sat in comfortable silence for a while, looking around quietly, when Rose caught sight of her reflection in a mirror held by a black haired woman. The wrinkles were definitely more obvious, and she tried to inconspicuously lift a hand to her face to touch them. She wasn't careful enough though-the Doctor saw her out of the corner of his eye and frowned. She knew he had been putting on a brave face for her, but she could tell that he was scared too.

"Rose..." He said, leaning forward and grabbing her hands.

She merely stared at him, the wave of panic bubbling up inside her once again. Mirrors seemed to be a bad thing for her at the moment.

"Rose, we're going to sort this out. Don't worry. I won't let anything happen to you." The candle between them caused light to dance on his face, making him look even more beautiful than usual. Rose carefully inspected his tousled brown hair, his heart-warming chocolate eyes, his perfect lips...

"I trust you." She whispered.

He pulled her to her feet and, after throwing too much money to pay for the cokes on to the table, he pulled her through the maze of tables by her hand and marched through the heavy metal door. He led her back into the loud tunnel and gripped her hand tightly, not looking back as he dragged her along. They battled against the constant stream of people, who gave them disgusted looks whenever they got in their way. It was becoming clear that Rose was become tired quickly. Her breathing became heavy and ragged, and she began to decrease in speed worryingly quickly. The Doctor stopped suddenly and turned to face her.

"Are you OK?"

"I'm fine...I just...need...a rest." She gulped, leaning against the wall.

The Doctor looked at her briefly, seeming to stare at her face a little too long.

"Doctor what's up?"

Wordlessly, he leaned down and unexpectedly grabbed her legs from underneath her with one arm, then gently caught her back with the other arm. He began to walk quickly onwards. Rose didn't quite know how to react. She stared at him, but he ignored her and focused on weaving between the crowd. For another twenty minutes they continued like this, and occasionally the Doctor would look down at her face and speed up. Eventually they reached another door identical to the one that led to the restaurant, only this time it had _MEDICS DEPARTMENT _printed on the front. The Doctor pointed his sonic screwdriver at the lock, and after a short buzz and a burst of blue light, the door opened with a click.

"Come on." He said, after sticking his head round the door to check if it was safe.

Inside was a plain white room. It looked very sterile-there wasn't a speck anywhere in the room, and Rose suddenly felt rather unclean. They both looked around in confusion at the apparent lack of doors, and the Doctor was about to start using his sonic when a piece of the wall suddenly moved backwards and slid aside, revealing a stout woman in her forties.

She wore a white lab coat, skin-coloured tights and black high heeled shoes. Her features were unremarkable, her brown hair hung lifelessly on her shoulders and she wore no make up. Rose's attention was immediately drawn to her necklace-it was a plain black metal circle with a circular blue crystal that glittered ostentatiously in the centre of it. Rose couldn't understand why, but this simple necklace made her heart tighten in fear.

"Do you have an appointment?" The woman asked, uncaring.

"No, but I'm the Professor John Smith and this is my associate, Rose Tyler. We need the life serum immediately, important government stuff." He said, trying to sound official but failing to hide the desperation in his voice.

"Ha!" The woman scoffed, writing on a black clipboard and shaking her head. "Can I see your credentials then please, _Professor._"

He grabbed the psychic paper from his pocket and her it infront of her. She inspected them carefully then sniggered, and Rose felt the urge to slap her-she didn't have to be so rude!

"What?" The Doctor asked, looking at the paper in confusion.

"Simple psychic paper cannot work on us-we all have at least basic psychic training, and you, sir, are a fake. I bid you good day." She said, turning to leave.

"No wait, please! You've got to help us!" He shouted, anger, frustration and terror filling his eyes.

"And why should I do that?" The woman asked, raising an eyebrow.

The Doctor stepped towards the woman, and began to speak as slowly and as calmly as possible.

"Because my friend is in trouble. And when my friend is in trouble, I will do everything I possibly can to save her. I'm asking you politely, give us the serum and we'll leave you in peace. But if you try and stop me, I promise you, I will get it. And it will cause a whole load of trouble for you." He said, clenching his fists.

"Good bye, Sir." She said.

"I'm warning you." He growled through clenched teeth. "I could cause so many problems. And I won't stop until I get what I want."

"Oh, that won't be necessary." Said a new voice from behind the door.

A woman in a smart black blazer and pencil skirt walked in, her black hair tied up in a loose bun, her lips and cheeks both bright red. She wore a brooch identical to the other woman's necklace, a black circle with a glittering sapphire-which once again caused Rose's palms to sweat in sudden trepidation.

"Sorry?" The Doctor asked.

"Both of you, this way." She said. She strode off without another word, and the brown haired woman nodded to them as they walked past, the Doctor taking Rose's hand in his.

"What's happening?" Rose whispered.

"I think," The Doctor speculated. "We're getting the serum."

Rose's head seemed to clear, and she was suddenly free of a huge weight on her shoulders. She let out a huge sigh and grinned at the Doctor. He smiled reassuringly back at her, and they swung their hands between them.

They followed the woman down quite a few corridors, all of which were an identical white colour-Rose had no idea how the woman knew where she was going-and eventually they reached a threateningly big iron door. The woman placed her hand on a glowing screen, then typed a in a password. The door opened automatically, and she pulled it open-with great difficulty; it looked very heavy.-They all stepped inside.

This room was pitch black. It was impossible to see how big the room was, but the echo of their footsteps suggested it was quite large. It was cold, and there was a strange, out of place scent of grass and moss. In the centre of the room there was a small podium, lit by a tiny stream of light, on which sat a tiny vile.

"After you take the serum, you may feel drowsy, sick, or feverish, but the immediate affects should wear off quickly. Long term affects can include disability, brain damage, crippling pain or death." She said, monotone. The Doctor gulped. "I'll leave you two to it then." She droned, and left, closing the door behind her with a _clunk._

Rose rushed towards the vile, desperate to take it as quickly as possible. She grabbed it in her hand-almost dropping it in her rush- and pulled the lid off. She lifted it to her lips and was about to tip it into her mouth when a hand clamped down on her hand.

"Doctor, you can't stop me." She said, annoyed that he would change his mind at this moment.

"No it's not that. It's just-It's-" He looked torn, and his eyes filled with tears as he took a deep breath and said. "Rose Tyler...I love you."

She tipped the vile, and swallowed the serum in one gulp.

**Thank you to everybody's lovely reviews so far. Suggestions, constructive critisizm or just general reviews are greatly appreciated!**


	4. Chapter 4

She was drowning. No, she wasn't drowning-she couldn't be; there was no water. But something was smothering her. She wanted to shout out his name...what was his name? How could she have forgotten? She desperately needed to hear his voice.

"Rose, are you awake?"

There it was! It was so perfect. Like the sound of a crackling fire after returning from a freezing cold walk in the drenching rain. Or the sound of that machine...that strange whirring noise...oh, what was it?

_No!_ _Let me go! _

Something had hold of her foot! It was dragging her down, back under the water, making her drown again...

"Rose...Rose? It's the Doctor. Can you hear me?" A vaguely familiar voice broke through a muffled cloud of confusion.

She ascertained that she was lying on her back, with something warm draped over her. She pulled it closer-ooh! It smelt nice too.

_Come on now, focus. _She thought. She couldn't even work out who she was, or where she was from.

A picture of a black circle with a shining blue circle in the middle of it floated to the forefront of her mind, and she thrashed around unintentionally, dread suddenly falling upon her previously peaceful body.

"Rose!"

_Rose, that's my name! _She thought. _But who are you?_

"Rose, I'm here, it's me, the Doctor!" said the voice,

_The Doctor, of course!_ How could she have forgotten?

"Doctor!" She shouted. The word wouldn't escape her mouth. She wanted to scream his name. The symbol, the two circles, they were blinding her, terrifying her. She screamed his name again, and she think it might have just about escaped her lips as a whisper.

"Shhh, I'm here." He said reassuringly. She felt a warm hand stroke her hair, and she shivered. She wanted to see his face; it felt like the most important thing in the world to her right now. But how could she open her eyes when someone had tied anchors to both of them? They were so heavy, and it hurt her brain to even try.

"Doctor...I can't..." She struggled, reaching out a heavy arm, trying to find him. She felt large, strong hands capture her week, tired hand and grip it tightly.

"I promise I won't let go." He said fiercely.

"Doctor?" She mumbled, almost unintelligibly.

"Yes?" He replied, leaning so he was just above her head, so as to hear her better.

"I love you too."

She felt a final squeeze on her hand, then somebody dragged her back under again...away from her Doctor...

This time, she started floating to the surface much quicker. She wanted to get back as quickly as possible. She wanted to hear that beautiful voice, see that heart-warming face, hold those warm hands, kiss those soft lips...

But that's not what she found.

She heard heart-broken sobs as she floated to the surface. They got clearer and clearer as she got closer to breaking free from her watery prison.

"I can't believe I let this happen. I should have stopped you! You wouldn't have understood why I would have stopped you but, oh, if only you could see yourself! Why won't you wake up?" He choked, sniffing.

"Doctor..."

"I should have taken that serum from you and got rid of it. I knew what the consequences were. And now look-weeks have passed. You're still asleep and I have no way to give you food or water. You're wasting away! Please, Rose..." He took a deep, juddering breath, "Wake up. For me."

The anchors on her eyes suddenly turned to helium-filled balloons and her eyes fluttered open. The first picture her new eyes saw were that of the Doctor's face. And she could see it so clearly! Every detail, crystal clear and perfect. His brown eyes were swimming with emotions; relief, happiness, and joy, but at the same time worry, despair and panic. Had his eyes always been so wonderful? And those lips...

Before she knew it, she could no longer look at his lips, because they were pressed against hers. He moved his mouth gently and Rose was taken by surprise once again, staying completely unresponsive. Her head was spinning, she felt tired, and she was very, very confused...and the Doctor was being anything but helpful right now.

"Doctor..." she groaned, but as soon as her lips moved she couldn't help but respond to him. She pressed a hand against his chest and moved her lips in time with his. But she was still warn out, and she was running out of breath quickly. She pushed him away, gasping for air.

Cautious, the Doctor leaned away and gave her some space. She took in her surroundings...they were in the TARDIS. In the console room. The familiar surroundings made her feel much more peaceful, and she slowly sat up. She took note that the Doctor's brown coat had been wrapped around her, and she cuddled it closer to her. She thought she saw a small smile on the corner of the Doctor's mouth as she did this, but she tried to ignore him.

"What happened?" She croaked. Wow, her throat was dry. She also made a mental note that she must brush her teeth as soon as possible, especially if she was to be doing any more kissing in the foreseeable future.

"You passed out as soon as you took the serum. I carried you back to the TARDIS, and you've been asleep for about two weeks. Well, not including the few times when you seemed to wake up briefly. But you didn't really say anything...coherent." He cleared his throat awkwardly. Rose didn't understand.

"What do you mean?" She asked, bewildered.

He tugged at his ear nervously. "Weellll, do you remember what I said to you before you took the serum?" He asked, biting his lip.

She thought carefully. She remembered him saying something. Something very important.

"You said you loved me." She said.

"Yes."

"And did you mean it?"

"Yes."

Rose felt the blood rise to her cheeks and she smiled at the Doctor. "What did I say to you?"

"You said...'I love you too'" He whispered.

"I did." She nodded, remembering.

"But...you were delirious, you weren't even properly awake. You clearly didn't mean it, it was just a-a-drugged, daft response to a silly old Time Lord's sentiments-you can't-I mean-" He stuttered, looking flustered and panicked.

She stood up, wobbling a little, and walked towards him. She placed a hand on each of his hearts and silenced him.

Her stomach was so empty and so painful that she felt the urge to double over and clutch her tummy. Her throat felt like a desert. All her limbs felt like she had been running a marathon every day for the last few weeks, and her head felt like it might implode, if the huge migraine she was experiencing was anything to go on. But there was one thing she had to fix that was so much more important than all of this.

Still shaking a little, she reached up on her tip toes and leaned to whisper in his ear.

"I love you, Doctor. _My _Doctor." She breathed.

Slowly leaning back,she looked nervously into his eyes. She saw everything that she felt reflected in those eyes-nerves, fear, excitement-everything.

She quickly kissed him before dragging herself away to her bedroom, to make herself presentable for _her _Doctor.


	5. Chapter 5

Thank you to everyone for reading this story, it's much appreciated and thank you for your reviews :-)

**Diclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who...**

Rose walked into her room and sighed with relief as she saw her reflection in the mirror. Her face was free of wrinkles, her hair its usual peroxide blonde colour (with frustratingly obvious brown roots) and she felt, physically, much healthier, despite her extreme tiredness.

She went into the en-suite bathroom and had a long, warm shower, taking time to clear her mind, collect her thoughts and prepare herself.

She knew that she should talk to the Doctor about everything. She knew she needed to talk things through with him but, even after all the monstrous aliens she's fought, all the futuristic robots she'd defeated, this was the most terrifying thing she'd ever had to do. Talk about _feelings._

She turned the shower off and sighed, still thinking deeply as she dried herself, she got dressed into some comfortable jeans and a t shirt, then rubbed her hair with a towel but left it damp. She had no energy whatsoever.

Dragging her feet, she slumped into her room and fell onto her bed in a lump. You would've though, after sleeping for days on end, she would feel as bright and awake as ever. But as she leaned her head back into the soft, welcoming cushions, she felt like every ounce of energy and effort had been removed from her bones. She kicked off her shoes and got tucked up under the warm covers, and smiled at how happy she felt. And then the full extremity of the situations hit her in the face with a _bang._

_I'm going to live forever._

Her grin widened, and her stomach did a few flips. She was going to spend forever with the Doctor. Rolling over, she thought the moment couldn't be any more perfect. Well, it turned out it could.

With a small creak, the door opened, and the smell of tea wafted into the room. The reassuring smell that never failed to remind her of home. Both her homes. And reminded that she was safe, that she had someone beside her to catch her if she was falling...

Groaning, she sat up and watched the Doctor put the tea down on the bedside table. He stood beside the bed, deliberating his next move nervously.

"How are you feeling?" He asked.

"Tired." She laughed.

"Lazy." He smirked.

He laughed at her expression of mock-offense, then swiftly climbed into the other side of the bed, wrapping her in his arms and squeezing her tightly.

"I thought I'd lost you." He whispered, the ghost of his worry echoing in his voice.

"You didn't." She said, suddenly strong and clear, despite her growing weakness. "And you won't. I promised you forever, and forever it shall be." She grabbed his hand and squeazed it.

He leaned his head on top hers and pulled her closer.

"Go to sleep, you must be exhausted." He said, worry still in his voice, as if he didn't want to let her go, in case she got lost forever.

She snuggled herself against him and closed her eyes, wishing that she stay in this exact position forever.

Rose had woken up feeling refreshed and ready to go, and the Doctor had decided to take her to see the beaches of the planet Dargin, a planet famous for its hot, sandy beaches and sparkling, blue oceans.

She stepped out of the TARDIS wearing pink shorts, a white vest top, and sunglasses. The Doctor followed, in his usual brown pinstripe suit and sneakers. He grabbed her hand and led her down the beach.

It was full of laughing families, squabbling children, and smitten couples, all of whom were from so many different species that you simply couldn't keep count.

For a few hours they just wandered around aimlessly, enjoying the gentle heat of the sun and the cool, ocean breeze on their skin. The sun began to fade behind the endless ocean, and soon people began to walk back up the beach and into the towns.

Peaceful, they stood side-by-side, staring at the glittering ocean. Everything was silent. Rose closed her eyes and took a deep breath, smelling the salt of the water as it filled her nose. The water gently lapped onto her toes, tickling her feet.

"Rose!" The Doctor screamed desperately.

Panicked, she was dragged out of her reverie, and she frantically spun round. Her heart began to race as she failed to find him. Suddenly, she spotted, just a bit further up the beach, a blur of flailing arms and legs.

"Doctor!" She yelled, running clumsily up the uneven sand.

"Rose!" He shouted again, his voice becoming more and more distant.

"I'm coming!" She cried. She could see a few people surrounding him, hurriedly dragging him away. He was powerless against their combined strength.

She heard a metallic, scream-like voice from behind her, and span around to see. Her breath was caught in her throat as she saw the same image as the reccuring symbol, the two circles. The dark, threatening black cricle encasing the light blue, glaring circle. She screamed, and called for the Doctor, momentarily forgetting that he was the one in peril.

"Shhh, it's okay." Said the voice in her head.

_She had voices in her head?_

"I'm here, don't worry, wake up, Rose."

Her legs gave way, and she collapsed onto the floor, only to open her eyes and find herself in her own bed, the Doctor's comforting arms around her, making her feel instantly calm.

"I-where-what?" She mumbled.

"It's okay. You just had a bad dream, that's all." He told her.

"But I was...we were..." She couldn't work out how it had just been a dream. It had all seemed so real... "Well that was...odd." She said, coming to her senses and feeling increasingly more alert and happy.

He smiled the smile that always made her insides melt, then jumped up and straightened his tie.

"I think you need a break. I'll take you somewhere nice-where we won't have to run anywhere." He smiled.

"That sounds nice." She laughed, relieved.

"I was thinking...Dargin. Beautiful, sandy beaches, gorgeous glittering oceans and-"

"No!" She cut him off, panicking.

"Why not?" He asked, confused.

"I...that's where...in my dream we were there...somebody tried to take you...and that symbol..." She choked, tears welling up inside her eyes.

"Okay, don't worry, we'll go somewhere else!" He said, concerned and puzzled but willing to do what would make her happy.

"Can we go and visit my mum?" She asked, a sudden wish to see her mother overwhelming her.

He smiled at her happily. "Of course."

Hands in pockets, he strode out of the room, and the whirring of the engines a few minutes later suggested that he had already set the TARDIS to land back in London, near her Mum's flat.

She couldn't wait to go home.

**Reviews, critisizm and feedback much appreciated!**


	6. Chapter 6

Jackie slumped back onto the couch with a huff, picking up her tea from the coffee table and switching on the TV. She sighed as the news told her the horrors of the day-fires, murders, and worse-and thought of her daughter. Was Rose safe? She trusted the Doctor, but how long would it be before he broke his promise?

Jackie knew that eventually, something would happen to Rose. She could die, she could get a rare alien disease, she could be whisked away by evil monsters, or she could be driven crazy by the frantic, ever-changing world that she had been thrown into.

A strange noise brought her out of her reverie and she almost spilt her tea as she span, automatically, in the direction of the sound. It was a sound that was impossible to explain, a strange sound that, whenever she heard it, made her fill up with joy, but also partially with trepidation, because she knew that whatever happened next would be good news or bad news.

It was the sound of the TARDIS.

She put down her mug and ran to the hallway, only to find a huge, blue box blocking the way to the door (apparently the Doctor had decided to park closer-the rain was falling from the sky by the bucket outside).

The door opened with a creak, and her daughter stepped out, carrying a huge backpack and grinning widely.

"Rose!" She exclaimed, pulling her in for a huge, relieved hug. She was alive!

Rose squealed as she hugged Jackie, laughing at her reaction to her return. "How long have we been gone?" She enquired.

"About three months!" She scolded her. Rose felt quite guilty-she usually visited at least once a month.

The doctor stepped out of the TARDIS, smiling at the gleeful reunion.

"Oi, you!" Jackie said. He winced, waiting for the painful reproach, but was instead surprised when he was dragged into a rib-crushing hug.

"I thought I'd said I don't do domestic?" He laughed.

"You do in my house!" She let go of him and turned her gaze to the huge bag Rose was now unloading from her back. "I suppose that will be full of washing for me? Honestly, have you aliens never heard of a washing machine?" She chastised the Doctor.

"I can't get everything in there, believe it or not." He retaliated, pointing a thumb to the TARDIS.

"Well, you would have thought a washing machine would have been a priority!" She laughed. "Anyway you, you're blocking my hall way!" She said, nodding towards the TARDIS sat directly in front of the door.

"Ah, yes, I'll just sort that out." He mumbled, dashing back into the TARDIS and closing the door.

"So..." Jackie said, walking into the kitchen and flicking the switch on the kettle. "What have you been up to lately?" She asked Rose.

"Just the usual madness," Rose laughed nervously, not sure how to approach telling her about the most recent part of her adventures.

Jackie nodded, obviously aware that Rose was holding something back, but cautious about pushing the matter. Silently, she pulled three cups out of the cupboard, and placed them on the cluttered kitchen top.

"All done!" Came a cheerful voice from the door. A soaked and somewhat dishevelled Doctor stood in the doorway, and Rose tried not to think about how incredibly attractive he looked.

"Does he drink tea?" Jackie whispered to Rose, not wanting to sound stupid, but unsure whether the alien stood in her kitchen would be accustomed to being asked how many sugars he took.

"Yes, Jackie, I do drink tea." He rolled his eyes and laughed.

"Okay, I was only asking!" She scoffed.

The Doctor looked at Rose questioningly. He mouthed the words _does she know? _But Rose stood there, frozen in panic. She knew that it was only fair that she told her everything. She rushed out of the room in a flurry of alarm, dragging the doctor by the hand and taking him out of earshot of her Mum.

"I don't know what to do." She muttered, her breathing become quicker in her frenzy.

"You have to do this." He said calmly, squeezing her hand reassuringly.

"I know, I know, It's just..." She took a deep breath and bit her lip nervously. "I don't know how she'll react, and I'm scared."

"I'll tell her, if you want me to." He said.

"Would you?" She breathed, feeling a huge weight off her shoulders. "I mean, you don't have to but..."

"Of course I will. Go and get changed and I'll speak to her." He smiled. She sighed with relief, and stood on her tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek.

"Thank you." She smiled, and dashed upstairs.

The Doctor cringed in realisation of what he'd just agreed to do. Who would have thought that after all the Daleks and Cybermen he had fought, talking to somebody's mother would be the thing that terrified him the most. This conversation could change everything. What if Jackie resented him for making his daughter so different-so alien? It may have been a human serum, but the two thousad year gap would seem alien to her. Could Jackie stop Rose from travelling with him...Could he survive without her...?

He stepped into the kitchen and cleared his throat loudly.

"This tea's going cold." Jackie said, showing no emotion.

He took his cup from the side and leaned against the wall, trying desperately to find a way to start the conversation.

"Something has happened to her hasn't it?" She said, fully aware that Rose had changed. The Doctor thought he saw a tear drip from her eye, but he ignored it.

"I'm sorry Jackie, we had no choice. I don't even know what happened to her. She was ageing way too quickly and-she was..." he gulped, trying to hold back the tears. He remembered the terror he felt as he saw her quickly get older, and the dread at the thought of losing her. "She was dying. And it was the only thing we could do to save her..."

"What did you do?" She whispered.

"We went to a medical centre, a few thousand years in the future, and she took a serum." He told her, sipping his tea nervously, but putting it down when he noticed his hand shaking violently.

"And...what did it do to her? She's different Doctor. She's changed, and I can tell. Has she changed for the better?" Her face looked agonised.

"I don't know." He put his face in his hands and sighed angrily, before running them through his hair.

"What do you mean, Doctor?"

"The serum, it saved her. But, you're right, it changed her." He looked her in the eyes and saw the paternal fright that he had felt himself a long, long time ago. "She's never going to die, Jackie."

Unmoving, she stared at him for a few silent moments. The Doctor stood as still as a statue, waiting for her reaction. He knew how wrong it was. She was different now. She wasn't _human. _Not that it changed how he felt about her-he'd love her no matter what or who she was. But he felt like he had betrayed both Rose and her mother-he had _changed _her.

"Will you stay with her...after I'm gone?" She asked, a tear clearly slipping down her cheek..

"Forever." He promised.

"Then...it's perfect." She smiled. She dragged the Doctor into another bone-crunching hug, and muttered into his ear. "Thank you."

She knew that this was the only way that they could both be happy together.

"I thought you didn't do domestic, Doctor?" Rose's voice chirped, apprehensive, from the door.

Jackie smiled at her daughter, an _everything-is-okay_ sort of smile, and Rose beamed back at her. They both knew they should talk things through, but they both knew that the other one didn't particularly want to talk about it.

"Come on you, we're going shopping!" Rose declared to the Doctor. "It's about time we did something human."

"Rose Tyler, I am _not _going shopping!" He laughed, incredulous.

"Oh yes you are! Are you coming, Mum?"

"Tell you what, I'll get dinner on, you two go out and have a nice time." She giggled at the Doctor motioning to her silently to help him.

"Okay, we'll just be a couple of hours. Allons-y!" Rose said, holding her arm out for the Doctor.

"I think you'll find that's my line!" The Doctor said, linking her arm and sticking his tongue out at her. "See you in a bit Jackie...if I survive!"


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who**

The Doctor popped a chip into his mouth and stared out of the window in wonder. The rain hammered the bus mercilessly, and as the door opened to let more passengers on, a fierce, cold wind gave everybody a chill. The Doctor put an arm around Rose and she snuggled against him gratefully.

"Mum's gonna kill you if you don't eat tea." She teased, stealing a chip.

"Don't worry, I'll eat up. Even after Daleks, Slitheen and Cybermen, your mother is still the most terrifying thing in the universe-I wouldn't dare refuse dinner." He laughed.

"I'm sure she'd be glad to know that. Bloody hell," She muttered. "Hurry up mate, it's bloody freezing!" She shouted to the bus driver. There was a murmur of agreement from the other passengers, and the Doctor shook his head.

"And you say I'm rude..." He chuckled.

"There was need for it, I'm-" She stopped suddenly. She could have sworn she'd seen something on the phone of the person in front of her...something she'd seen before. She gulped.

"What's up?" The Doctor murmured, worried.

She glanced back to the phone, but it wasn't there. I must have been her imagination.

"Nothing, it's just-oh finally, they're closing the door. About time!" She shivered violently as the unseasonal chill, once again, coursed through her veins. The Doctor took off his brown coat and wrapped it round her carefully.

"You're gonna be the one who freezes to death now." She laughed, but she did not refuse it. It was very warm, and it smelt fabulous...

"What?-" The Doctor was cut off by a group of men, all dressed in black and yielding threatening, black guns, smashed the door of the bus and swiftly stepped onto the bus. The bus driver was astounded, and began shaking a podgy finger at them, asking them who the hell they thought they were.

One of the men, without turning his gaze, moved his gun and pointed it at the driver's head, and pulled the trigger.

A chord of guttural screams ensued from the people who now cowered behind seats. Rose stood up, and the Doctor moved a little in front of her, shielding her.

"Everybody remain calm. Give us what we want and we won't hurt you." One of the men said. He had mousey-brown hair, and empty grey eyes. The slight smirk on his face gave Rose the urge to go up to him and grab him by the throat.

"What did you do that for? He did nothing wrong!" She screamed. She had seen things like this happen before. It was usually aliens, or humans from way in the future. But to see this happen to her own kind, in her own home... it made it a million times worse. That innocent man probably had a wife and kids...

"He was disposable." The man replied calmly.

"Disposable?" The Doctor whispered angrily. One hand was in his pocket, obviously clutching his sonic screwdriver, and it was shaking violently.

"All we want is you." The man said, staring at the doctor, not blinking.

"No." Rose said. The Doctor turned to see tears streaming down her face, and she was looking directly at something on the man's coat, her eyes wide with panic and fear.

"The symbol." She whispered, her breathing hitching.

There was a small _buzz _and a flash of blue light, all the windows smashed. The Doctor grasped his sonic screwdriver tighter then grabbed Rose's hand, and shouted "Everybody out!"

Rose stood paralysed in panic. She watched as the Doctor helped people out, knowing that she had to do something.

"I'll help them, Doctor, you have to run!" She yelled, the tears falling from her eyes like waterfalls. "Just run Doctor, please, you have to run!" She felt like her throat was being ripped out as the desperate words escaped her quivering lips.

"Rose, I can't-" But he was cut off, as an arm grabbed his throat and pulled him backwards.

"Doctor!" Rose screamed. She lunged forward, but she was thrown backwards by strong arms. She felt rough hands grab her throat.

"Let us have him." A voice whispered in her ear.

"No!" She croaked, her voice coarse. She squirmed defiantly under his strong grip, but she couldn't get free. She felt something hard against her head, and realised with a wave of panic that it was a gun.

"You are disposable." The voice whispered even quieter. She continued to wrestle in vein-the man was too strong. The last thing she heard was the Doctor scream "NO!", his voice breaking into a sob, before there was a loud bang and everything went black.

"Rose, we're here...wake up..." The Doctor's voice drifted through the clouds that seemed to be filling her mind so much lately. " Rose..." She felt a hand on her cheek, and her eyes fluttered open.

The Doctor's face loomed above her, a contented smile on his lips. She was lying on his lap, with his coat wrapped around her. Stretching her arms, she sat up, realising that they were still on the bus. Had it all just been another bad dream...?

"Come on, we better go. I don't think he's too happy." The bus driver sat-very much alive-shaking a podgy finger at a teenager in a black hooded jacket, and the Doctor and Rose promptly got up and walked down the aisle, saying their thanks to the driver and stepping out into the rain.

Rose fumbled with the keys furiously, as the Doctor held his coat over their heads. Eventually, he gave up and used his sonic screwdriver, and it opened immediately. They rushed inside, laughing, although Rose still had a bitter after-taste of panic and fear. Stealing one quick kiss before hanging up his coat, he followed Rose into the kitchen.

"You two are soaking!" Jackie complained as they dripped water onto her kitchen floor.

"Have you looked outside recently Mum? It's worse than that planet where it rained almost every day, and the rain drops were the size of buckets. Worst date I've ever been on..." Rose giggled, elbowing the Doctor in the ribs playfully.

Jackie smirked in a _I-told-you-so _sort of way, and pulled out some black plates from the cupboard. "Put these on the table will you?" She passed them to Rose.

Rose took them in her hands and looked down at them with a small gasp.

They cluttered to the floor with a smash.

"Oh, Rose!" Jackie moaned, carefully manoeuvring her way to the cupboard, and pulling out a dustpan and brush.

"Rose?" The Doctor asked, wary.

She stood there, unmoving, staring at the shattered plates on the floor.

"Rose?" He asked again.

"It was the symbol." She whispered, a single tear escaping her eye.

**Reviews much appreciated!**


End file.
